Rail-joint



(No Model.)

G. FISHERi RAIL JOINT.

No. 361,169. Patented Oct. 19. 1886-.

INVENTOR gemwym i UNITED STATES CLARK FISHER, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 351,169, dated October 19, 1886.

Application filed Jnly I0. 1886.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLARK FisHnR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trenton, New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement upon that set forth in United States Letters Patent No. 19,555, granted March 9, 1858, to M. Fisher, of Trenton, aforesaid, and known as the Fisher joint, and it relates to the class of devices known as joints or splices for the recep tion of the contiguous ends of railroad-rails, and commonly called rail-joints, the same being devices for connecting the rails, and for supporting them both from beneath and laterally.

The Fisher rail-joint referred to consists of a sole piece or chair provided with longitudinally-extending vertical flanges upon each side of its uppersurface, against which flanges and upon the upper surface of which sole-piece clamps or forelocks to grasp the bases of the rail ends rest, the said forelocks being held down upon the rail-bases and solepiece by one or more bolts passing through the whole, as by a reference to the Letters Patent referred to will more fully appear.

The object of my present invention is to apply to and incorporate with the other elements of the Fisher rail-joint rails the meeting extremities of which to be coupled are vertically beveledthat is to say, are cut off oppositely and obliquely at corresponding angles greater or less than a right angle.

I am aware that it is not newto correspondingly angle off the meeting extremities of rails, and to such an invention, broadly, I lay no claim. Certain difficulties, however, have heretofore arisen in maintaining these beveled rail ends in their proper relative positiondifficulties due to the action of these contiguous ends against each other, and not encountered with rails having ends cut off square. Hitherto all such beveled end rails have been connected together by side plates 011 the upper edges of which the overhanging sides of the rail-heads have rested, and it has been sought to cause these side plates to clasp the rail ends sidewise by horizontal bolts passing through them and the inclosed vertical stems of the Serial No. 207,657. (No model.)

rails, forming what is known as the fish-bar joint or the angle-bauioint. In thisconstruction, however, the manifest tendency, either from creeping or the tractive force of the locomotive-wheels, of one rail having an oblique end abutting against, the oblique surface of the next rail end, is to throw both rails out of line with each othersidewise more or less, according as the angle of the cutoff ends with the longitudinal axis of therails is greater or less. Great strain is therefore brought upon these horizontal bolts addition al to that already required for holding the side plates in position against the vertical force of the load upon the rails. The only resistance to the rails sliding past each other and getting out of side alignment is therefore secured by maintaining these bolts always tightly screwed up and unworn, a condition practically impossible. A second difficulty with rail ends cut at an angle and supported in the manner described is that the bearing-surface is reduced proportionately to the angle, leaving the load to come on the acute projecting point, which soon batters down. Abandoning, therefore, any attempt at supporting these obliquely-cut ends of rails by side bars, and at keeping them in lateral alignment by horizontal bolts, my invention comprehends a combination of these beveled rail ends, with a supporting base, beam, orsole-piece beneath the rail-bases, with side chocks or forelocks for alignment, and with a vertical bolt or bolts passing through the rail-bases, for-clocks, and beam, to form a vertical stop against end or longitudinal movement of the rails, all in sub stantially the manner hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying d awings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a rail-joint conveniently embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 8 is a top plan View, the meeting extremities of therails being horizontally sectioned through the web, the forclocks being removed, and the arms of a connecting U-bolt being shown in section. Fig. 4 is an end view ofthejointol'Figs.1 and 2.

In the drawings, A is the sole-piece chair or supporting base-beam, and (t the laterally-extending vertical flanges of said chair.

B are the rails, the meeting extremities of which are correspondingly and oppositely angled, as shown in the drawings.

' bis what I term a base-shoulder, prefernotched shoulder forming, in conjunction with the angularly-cut longitudinally-opposite base of the adjacent rail, a notch, 12*, through which the shanks of single bolts or the arms a of a connecting U-bolt, 0, (pass vertically upward in the mounting of the 'forelocks or side chocks, D, upon the rail-bases and chair.

. Instead of cutting off the acutely-angled extremities of the rail-bases to form the shoulders I), it is obvious that the shoulders or notches may be formed by notching out the obtusely-angled extremities of said rail-bases.

The forelocks, as shown in Fig. 4, extend from the flanges of the chair into the web of the rail, and being each disposed about centrally with respect to the respective side faces of the joint formed by the obliquely-cut rail ends, bear against the said rail ends upon opposite sides and prevent their lateral displacement in the creeping of the rails or expansion of the metalthereof, while, 1'11 addition, the base-shoulders abutting against the bolts subserve a similar purpose.

When a single U -bolt is employed, its neck or cross-head may be parallel with the oblique faces of the rail cnds,or at a slight angle thereto, as shown in Fig. 3. If desired, independ ent bolts may be employed in place of a single U -bolt. I prefer, however, to employ a U -bolt.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination, to form a rail-joint, of a sole-piece, chair, or supporting flanged beam, rails the meeting extremities of which are correspondingly angularly cut, and the extremities of the bases of which are cut away, notched out, or otherwise shouldered, forelocks, and bolts holding said forelocks upon the rail-bases and passing through the notches or openings formed by cutting away, notching out, or shouldering off a portion of the railbases, and through the chair or beam, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, to form a rail-joint, of the sole-piece A, the obliquely-cut rails B, having base-shoulders b, forelocks D. and bolts a, passing through the forelocks and the solepiece, and through the notches or openings formed by the shoulder b, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. 7

3. The combination of two contiguous rail. ends cut in a vertical plane not at right angles with the plane of the rail-stem, a sole-piece, chair, or beam supporting said rail ends by their bases resting upon it, two forelocks or side chocks, andvertical bolts passing through said rail-base,'forelocks, and beam, the'whole forming a rail-joint in a railroad-track, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 19th day of May, A. D. 1886.

CLARK FISHER. In presence of- CHAUNGEY IvEs, S. B- HUTcHINsoN. 

